Grassley Gives Kavanaugh Accuser Friday Deadline to Testify

Case against Supreme Court nominee begins to fall apart

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley has submitted a letter to Dianne Feinstein setting a Friday deadline for Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser, Christine Ford, to respond on whether she will give testimony about her claims.

Christine Blasey Ford claims that Kavanaugh “physically and sexually assaulted” her during a party in the early 80’s when she was 15 and Kavanaugh was 17, although she has so far refused to testify.

“Sexual assault allegations deserve serious attention, and those who make such allegations must be heard,” writes Grassley. They should not be deployed strategically for political gain. You received this letter approximately seven weeks ago. But the contents of the letter were leaked only last week when it appeared the Senate was about to confirm Judge Kavanaugh.”

“As you know, the Senate Judiciary Committee has extended invitations to Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh to testify on Monday, September 24. They have until this Friday at 10:00 a.m. to let us know whether they are coming. Dr. Ford has asked for the opportunity to be heard in a hearing, and I believe she should have that opportunity,” he adds.

Other Republicans who previously expressed a desire to hold up Kavanaugh’s confirmation have now indicated that the vote should move forward if Ford refuses to testify. CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin also said last night that Kavanaugh will get confirmed if Ford does not testify before Monday.

Illustrating how the case against Kavanaugh is beginning to fall apart, three of the people that Ford claims were present when she was assaulted have all denied that the incident took place.

Kavanaugh himself has denied the accusation in addition to his high school classmate Mark Judge. Patrick J. Smyth also provided a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee rebutting Ford’s story.

As we reported earlier this week, Ford is a lifelong Democrat who attended a women’s march against Trump wearing a version of the pussy hat, suggesting that the entire farce is a political scheme to try to delay Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

If Democrats win the Senate in the upcoming mid-terms, they could even attempt to delay Kavanaugh’s nomination until after the 2020 elections, at which point they would replace him with their own pick if Trump failed to win a second term.